Animal Crackers - A Compilation of Short Stories, Essays, Poetry, and Memories: Sutton Writing Group Compilations, #2

By Lisa Shea, Jane Nozzolillo, Kevin Paul Saleeba and 7 more

Animals have been entwined with our lives since the earliest days of civilization. Many of the first cave drawings are of animals and how they interact with humans. Dogs were loyal companions and protectors. Cats kept the home safe from mice and curled up on a lap after a long day of work. Both were worshipped as gods and goddesses.

As our society grew, so did our appreciation of our animal neighbors on our Earth. Many of us now care for more unusual pets such as rabbits and geckos.
The wild animals continue to enthrall and inspire us. Monkeys and apes can learn sign language to talk with us. Elephants can paint beautiful pictures and have shown they are self-aware.

Animals can be our best friends. They share in our joys and comfort us through our dark times. Often they are the ones we turn to when nobody else will listen.

Our Sutton Writing Group compilation includes animal-themed haiku and poetry. Memories of pets who changed our lives. Fictional tales laced with playful delight, magic, science fiction, current events, and a dash of whimsy.

Come share in this exploration of the many wondrous ways in which animals touch us all.

Authors featured in this compilation are:

Christine Beauchaine
Linda DeFeudis
Steve Hague
Bob Marrone
S. M. Nevermore
Jane Nozzolillo
Lily Penter
Kevin Paul Saleeba
Lisa Shea
Ophelia Sikes

The Sutton Writing Group supports local animal shelters.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lisa Shea
• Release date: Dec 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386138341

Lisa Shea

I love writing in a variety of genres. I currently have over 300 books published in all lengths from full 500+ page novels down to short stories. I love writing series. Some are with unconnected characters, like the 14 full-length medieval novels with a sword being passed from heroine to heroine. Some have connected characters, like the 31 mini-mysteries featuring a detective in Salem, Massachusetts. All of my books are written "clean" with no explicit intimacy, no harsh language, and no explicit violence. All are suitable for teens and up. For a full listing of my books please visit: http://www.lisashea.com/lisabase/writing/gettingyourbookpublished/lisalibrary.html

Book preview

Introduction

Animals have been entwined with our lives since the earliest days of civilization. Many of the first cave drawings are of animals and how they interact with humans. Dogs were loyal companions and protectors. Cats kept the home safe from mice and curled up on a lap after a long day of work. Both were worshipped as gods and goddesses.

As our society grew, so did our appreciation of our animal neighbors on our Earth. Many of us now care for more unusual pets such as rabbits and geckos.

The wild animals continue to enthrall and inspire us. Monkeys and apes can learn sign language to talk with us. Elephants can paint beautiful pictures and have shown they are self-aware.

Animals can be our best friends. They share in our joys and comfort us through our dark times. Often they are the ones we turn to when nobody else will listen.

Our Sutton Writing Group compilation includes animal-themed haiku and poetry. Memories of pets who changed our lives. Fictional tales laced with playful delight, magic, science fiction, current events, and a dash of whimsy.

Come share in this exploration of the many wondrous ways in which animals touch us all.

The Sutton Writing Group supports local animal shelters.

Bastet, Egyptian Goddess of Protection

Two Guys Go Shopping …

By Lily Penter

Friday, one p.m.

It’s Gwennie time!

BD’s been lounging on the front lawn, stretched out in the shade of a big red maple turned brown for winter, but now he bounces to his feet.

Wake up, Charlie – it’s Gwennie time!

Charlie is stretched out, too, but he is in full sun on the granite front step, soaking up some rays. He gets up with a sigh. It’s time to move anyway. Much as he loves baking on a hot rock, he has to limit his time in the sun. Being a redhead with pale skin, he burns easily.

It’s a day in early December, but there’s been no snow yet and the sun still feels hot. The leaves changed color months ago and now they’re brown, but they are still clinging forlornly to their branches, rustling whenever there is a breeze.

Charlie yawns and saunters over to join BD near the old cherry tree. They sit side by side staring down the quiet road.

The old Post Road in this little Massachusetts town isn’t always quiet – in the morning it is a madhouse of school buses, parents driving students who overslept and missed those buses, teachers, administrators, and the lucky few kids who drive their own cars to school. The afternoon traffic is even worse because those same drivers are in an even bigger hurry to get away from the school as quickly as possible.

Right now, though, between times at just past noon, it is quite peaceful.

In the near distance, they can hear the sound of an engine as a vehicle stops, then moves slowly forward, stops again. A minute later the square little mail truck pulls into view, and they watch - BD excited and admiring and Charlie feigning lack of interest - as the driver flips open a mailbox, deftly slips in a packet of mail and flips it shut again.

Three mailboxes to go… two mailboxes ... one…

The mail truck arrives at their mailbox and comes to a halt. The truck’s door is already open to the fresh air and its driver, bundled up in a blue Postal Service jacket, leans out. She is not holding a packet of mail, though. She is holding a Milk Bone and Kitty treat.

Hey … my best buds - you guys never fail me! She hops down, a slim woman with a slim, brown pony tail bouncing.

Charlie sits serenely, not even looking at Gwen, but BD is bouncing around, knocking into her and wagging his tail nub for all it is worth – more than it’s worth, actually. It’s hardly big enough to mention.

She gives them their treats, scratches their heads and hops back into the truck. BD gulps his Milk Bone in two bites, but Charlie delicately drops his snack between his two front paws.

Gotta run. You know …the mail waits for no man and all that, Gwen calls over her shoulder as she drives away. Wish you could come with, but you know...rules. Tomorrow, guys.

The small mail truck pulls away.

Why won’t the mail wait for a man? a worried BD asks Charlie.

It’s just an expression.

But what does it mean?

No idea, says Charlie.

Oh… Are you going to eat that?

***

Friday, three fifteen pm.

Annelise Donnelley is finished for the day - in more ways than one. The longest Friday of her life is over, so her substitute teacher stint is done. And she is so tired she’s not sure she can be trusted to drive home. She needs a hot bath and a glass of wine. And some time to think about Mike.

Substitute teaching had seemed like a good way to ease back into the workforce. She left her job as office manager for a dentist two years ago to take care of her father during his last illness. It had been a good decision, she thinks. Though she and her Dad had maintained a relationship even after the divorce, she hadn’t actually lived with him since she was six. Not everyone gets a chance to really connect with a parent after reaching adulthood and Annelise feels fortunate.

She closes up her briefcase (brief bag, really) and gets to her feet. She’s not sure why she even brought the bag, to be honest. It only held her lunch and a paperback novel she’d had no time to read.

What had she been thinking? She’d somehow imagined herself relaxing in a cozy teachers’ lounge, reading a few chapters of her mystery in between classes. In reality, the only breaks had been a few quick trips to the bathroom, and the teachers’ lounge was dreary and uninviting enough, with its plastic chairs and gray walls, that she couldn’t be sorry not to linger.

The other teachers have been friendly in a cautious sort of way. She is probably like the new boyfriend of a single mother – don’t get too close, he might not stick.

But she walks out to her car with two teachers she hasn’t encountered during the school day and introduces herself. They seem to know without being told that this is her first day on the job.

So, how’d your day go? asks Margie, a stocky, fifty-ish women with short, gray streaked hair and a pleasant face. Are you tired?

Jo, the second teacher, tall, with a short, black braid, laughs. If you’re not, you’ll be the first! They’ll put up a plaque for you in the ‘Hall of Fame’.

Annelise smiles a bit ruefully. Not a chance – I can hardly walk! I thought first graders would be easy. You know, ’cause they can’t run very fast on those short little legs. And I didn’t know I’d be doing all those deep knee bends to tie shoelaces!

Margie smiles back. You’re clearly not a mom yet – if you were, you’d know – even a two-year-old can move at the speed of light.

Jo adds, Yes – but only on the wrong occasions and in the wrong direction– not if you’re trying to catch a bus or get somewhere on time.

She stares curiously at Annelise for a moment.

Oh, while we’re on the subject – are you that chick going out with Officer Mike?

Annelise blushes, but it is Margie who replies.

Jo, that is sooo not the subject we were on – have you no shame?

Well, you know I don’t, Margie! And now Annelise knows, too. So, spill, Annelise.

***

At the end of her shift, Gwen returns to the post office, straightens up her truck, picks up her own car, and heads home. For some reason, the shift had seemed endless. Nothing was different from any other day – maybe that was the problem. Or maybe she is just getting old. She is nearer forty than thirty, after all. An old cat lady, she thinks ruefully.

She wonders briefly if she is gay – or ‘queer’ is the current term, she supposes. She’s never had much dating success, but then she’s never felt very interested in anyone, male or female. She supposes that she is just one of those unfortunate people who don’t need other people.

Home is a largish, unstylish second floor apartment in an old white clapboard building in the center of town. No dogs are allowed but cats are ok, so Gwen, a lover of all things animal, has a cat. She gets her licks and slobbers from the dogs on her mail route, mostly from her special pal, BD.

Now she returns to the quiet apartment and takes a look in the fridge, Marsha in attendance. Marsha is skinny as a rail in spite of eating her weight in food every morning and every evening, Gwen is slender, herself, but she shakes her head when she glances down at her cat. We know you don’t have worms, but geesh! You are one scrawny looking beast. If you were an outdoor cat, someone would be reporting me to Animal Control.

Marsha blinks at her and looks back to the refrigerator door. Gwen obligingly opens it.

They find just what she expected – nothing remotely appetizing. There is a single beer – Sam Adams